NANTERRE, France — Katie Ledecky remains unstoppable. She secured her ninth gold medal and 14th overall medal on Saturday, winning the 800-meter freestyle and concluding her fourth Olympic Games in remarkable style.

Earlier in the week, on Thursday, Ledecky made history by becoming the most decorated female Olympic swimmer ever. She achieved this milestone by winning silver in the 4×200 freestyle relay, marking her 13th career medal.

 

But Ledecky wasn’t finished. She defended her title in the 800-meter freestyle, winning the event for the third consecutive time.

Her nine gold medals are the most ever by a female swimmer and the highest for an American woman in any sport. This achievement ties her with Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won nine golds in the 1950s and 1960s, for the most gold medals by any woman in Olympic history.

Despite her historic accomplishments, Ledecky has consistently downplayed her place in the record books. What matters most to her, she says, is the enjoyment she feels. “I hope that I’ll look back on it with the same amount of joy and happiness that I feel right now and that I feel every day,” Ledecky shared with reporters at Paris La Défense Arena.

Fastest 800-meter freestyle swims, Women

• 1. Katie Ledecky — 8:04.79 (2016)
  2. Katie Ledecky — 8:06.68 (2016)
  3. Katie Ledecky — 8:07.07 (2023)
  4. Katie Ledecky — 8:07.27 (2018)
  5. Katie Ledecky — 8:07.39 (2015)
  6. Katie Ledecky — 8:08.04 (2022)
  7. Katie Ledecky — 8:08.87 (2023)
  8. Katie Ledecky — 8:09.13 (2018)
  9. Katie Ledecky — 8:09.27 (2022)
  10. Katie Ledecky — 8:10.32 (2016)

On Saturday, Ledecky swam the 800-meter freestyle in 8:11.04, marking the 13th-fastest time ever recorded, preceded and followed by her own performances.

After touching the wall, Ledecky threw her head back into the water, later admitting that her reaction was one of relief. “It was kind of just a feeling of relief,” she said. “Coming into the 800, I just felt a lot of pressure from myself, just from my history in the race, and I knew going into that it was going to be a really tough race … and it played out that way.”

Silver medalist Ariarne Titmus reminisced about watching Ledecky win gold in London when she was just 11 years old. “It’s such an honor to race alongside someone like Katie,” Titmus said. “It’s remarkable to think that she’s still winning at this level, and I have the most incredible respect for her.” Titmus’ silver-medal time of 8:12.29 set a national record, while Paige Madden from Mobile, Alabama, won bronze.

Titmus, 23, expressed her admiration, saying, “I’m happy that she was the one to beat me to keep her streak alive because that’s just remarkable.”

Ledecky holds the top 17 fastest times in the 800 freestyle, 19 of the top 20, and 24 of the top 25. This dominance was briefly challenged in February when Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh defeated Ledecky, marking her first loss in an 800-meter freestyle final since 2010. McIntosh, with the 18th-fastest time of 8:11.39, did not compete in the 800 at Paris.

Leaving France, Ledecky has two golds, a silver, and her first bronze from these Games. She won the 1,500 freestyle, took silver in the 4×200 freestyle relay, and bronze in the 400 freestyle. With her impressive track record from London, Rio, and Tokyo, the Bethesda, Maryland native shows no signs of slowing down and aims to compete in Los Angeles in 2028.